Guwahati, August 9: The Gauhati High Court has permitted the family members of three Hmar youths, allegedly killed in a crossfire between police and suspected militants last month, to take their bodies from the morgue of Silchar Medical College Hospital, for performing their last rites.
The three youths, it may be recalled, were arrested by the state police in southern Assam’s Cachar district on July 16, 2024, and allegedly killed in the police-militant crossfire the next day.
A division bench of the High Court, in its directive, stated that the petitioners/ family members of the three deceased persons, whose dead bodies were lying in the morgue of SMCH, Silchar, “shall be at liberty to satisfy the Chief Superintendent-Cum-Principal, SMCH, Silchar as to their identities and thereafter, take the dead bodies into their custody for performing their last rites. The written prayer for taking custody of the dead bodies shall be presented before the Chief Superintendent-Cum-Principal, SMCH, Silchar.”
“In the event the family members of the deceased desired to take away the dead bodies outside the state of Assam by road, they would inform the Superintendent of Police, Cachar, who can do the needful to enable the family members of the deceased to take away the dead bodies. Their logistic support shall be provided up to the nearest airport or to the nearest border of the state of Assam,” the bench stated in its order.
The High Court had earlier directed the Assam government to preserve the bodies of the deceased persons at the morgue of Silchar Medical College Hospital as well as prepare the report of chemical analysis and prepare the final report of their cause of death.
The Advocate General, appearing for the state government, submitted that the state had filed a short affidavit, and prayed for two weeks’ time in order to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
The High Court, after considering and allowing the prayer, directed the state government to file an affidavit by August 30, 2024, while listing the matter on September 10, 2024.